


Sheltered

by GateauAuCiel



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I’ll add more tags as it goes on, Lots of Cuddling, M/M, Past Sexual Abuse, Smut, Writer!Sebastian, adoption? sebastian is basically his dad but he fucks him, and kisses, ciel has sebastian wrapped around his finger, homeless ciel, orphan ciel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:47:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28271880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GateauAuCiel/pseuds/GateauAuCiel
Summary: His ears perked up at a strange scuffing sound near his door. He excitedly headed towards it; was it the same black cat he had seen earlier this week? He left food out for her each morning, but it was rare for her to make an appearance. But he assumed it had to be her, the dish was always empty the next day. The scraping was followed by a quick few timid knocks on the door. Definitely not the cat, unless she had suddenly evolved.Sebastian took the last few steps before unlatching the lock and taking a look at his new visitor. Standing in his doorway was, to put it lightly, the filthiest looking child he had ever seen.
Relationships: Sebastian Michaelis/Ciel Phantomhive
Comments: 25
Kudos: 122





	1. Chapter 1

Autumn was already in full swing. Meeting deadlines was hard enough without the gloomy weather weighing down on his vision, but the storm outside Sebastian’s London townhome showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. He glanced over his week’s work and sighed, this would have to do. Perfectionism wouldn’t get him anywhere in his line of work, at least not today. The world of journalism was quick and fleeting, anything he wrote would be forgotten in a week’s time with no regard to his perfect wording- or lack thereof. He clapped his laptop closed and pushed his office chair away from the shitty Ikea desk. Standing up with a stretch, he took a look around at his surroundings to place him back into the world of the living. The decor in his office was objectively tasteful; all of the furniture fit into a neutral color scheme and was simplistic in design, it was so minimalistic that it almost looked expensive. The space was completely devoid of personality, sure, but any time he was in there he would have his nose buried in his work anyways, and the large window at the far end of the room usually made up for the lack of color or flare. But in these colder months, it just added to the dull, grey backdrop. 

Judging from the darkening sky and a quick glance at his phone clock, it was well into the evening already— 8:00 pm. It was too late to start planning out an entire meal, and his distaste for “low quality food,” as he so pleasantly put it, prevented him from just eating a premade microwave dinner like any sensible person would. He closed the office door and left it to be forgotten until the next weekday while he made a beeline for the fridge. Taking the soup from a few nights before, he poured it into a small pot before turning on the gaslit stove, leaving it to heat up while he wound down from his workday. As he started to undo the top buttons of his shirt, his ears perked up at a strange scuffing sound near his door. He excitedly headed towards it; was it the same black cat he had seen earlier this week? He left food out for her each morning, but it was rare for her to make an appearance. But he assumed it had to be her, the dish was always empty the next day. The scraping was followed by a quick few timid knocks on the door. Definitely not the cat, unless she had suddenly evolved. 

Sebastian took the last few steps before unlatching the lock and taking a look at his new visitor. Standing in his doorway was, to put it lightly, the filthiest looking child he had ever seen. Aside from the sullied clothes and being soaked to the bone, his skin looked grey and was smudged with dirt, only barely showing pale pink where the rain had washed away the top layer of mess. His hair was a rat’s nest that was just as dirty as his skin. It looked black… no, maybe a dark grey? It was impossible to tell underneath god-knows-what was covering his head. The only thing setting this poor child apart from a freshly dug-up corpse was his bright blue eye, which seemed to stare straight through Sebastian. The uncomfortable silence was broken by a quiet voice.

“Do you have something I can eat?”

The boy was no longer staring up at him, opting rather to play with the fraying hem of his shirt and look down at the wooden floor. Sebastian stood dumbfounded for a moment before taking a step back to invite him inside. Warily, the boy stepped into the foyer— not taking his eyes off the tall man for a single moment. He left a dripping trail walking into the room, a puddle starting to form around his bare feet. Sebastian closed the door behind him, not wanting to let any of the warm air out. At the sound of the latch, the child jumped and immediately turned around to look behind him.

“I’ll go get a towel.” The boy stood stiffly in between the kitchen and the living room, showing no sign of actually hearing Sebastian. He repeated himself. “Excuse me for a moment.”

He returned from the bathroom with a fluffy, deep red towel. He held it out to the boy. For a few moments he was only met with a look of complete suspicion, feeling the nervous eyes look him up and down— trying to take everything in. After the majority of the water was mopped up, he shook off his head into the soft fabric. Sebastian was a bit hesitant to offer him a seat on the couch, it would be a pain in the ass to clean later, so he instead offered up a bar stool. The boy took the seat and placed the towel under his bottom, trying his best not to drip onto the floor anymore.

“I've some soup heating on the stove right now, but it won’t be ready for a bit. Do you want to take a shower?” The boy curled his fingers into his lap and stared at his own legs, still obviously tense. Sebastian moved to a seat a bit farther away, which seemed to put him a little more at ease. Upon closer inspection, the kid was a pitiful sight; he was petite and frail, the skin around his right eye was caked with dirt and what looked to be dried blood covering a gauze. He spoke up and asked again. 

“I thought you would be a woman.” He said it quietly enough that Sebastian wouldn’t have been able to hear it if he weren’t already listening. 

“Pardon?”

“You always leave out food, I figure that’s a bit more like an old lady than a guy.” Leaving out food? What was this kid talking about? Food… food… _oh dear._ Did he mean the cat food? He decided it was better not to ask. Silence hung in the air for another moment. “What’s your name?”

“Sebastian.”

“And your surname?” Good lord, this kid was weird.

“Michaelis.” He answered. The boy seemed to ponder for a moment while Sebastian sought out to make his way towards the bathroom. When he looked up, he saw him at the other side of the room and took it as a cue to follow. “Here’s the bathroom. You can take a shower and I’ll have food for you once you get out. You can borrow some clothes while yours dry.”

He reached his arm around to give the kid a pat on the back before leaving back to the kitchen, but he received a rather visceral reaction. He had darted the opposite direction, pressing himself into the wall like a scared animal. His eye was open wide and he looked to be trembling, chest swelling up and down along with his sharp breathing. Sebastian showed his hands and backed away slowly, trying his best not to scare the poor thing again. “No touching. Got it.” Once he was further away, the boy’s grip on the wall behind him softened, and his breathing seemed to calm down a little. Gently, Sebastian told him that he would leave dry clothes by the door, for which he could switch out his dirty ones.

While the boy was showering, he took the time to clean up any other mud or water that has been tracked in. Moving to collect the towel, he saw a small bag next to where he had been sitting. He assumed it belonged to the child. This was confirmed by a quick look inside; the only things in it were Band-Aids that looked a good couple of years old, a couple pairs of _seemingly_ clean underwear, and a ratty stuffed bunny. He emptied the bag of its contents and moved on from there. He set the bandages inside the bag— he would never use those on a kid— and grabbed an old t-shirt to put in front of the door along with the dry underwear. He doubted that a single pair of bottoms he owned would fit on the tiny thing, but it didn’t really matter anyways, because that shirt was sure to go down to his skinny little knees. As promised, the boy had put his wet clothes out by the door after he undressed. In his arms, Sebastian held the wet clothes and dirtied towel to take to the laundry room. As he passed the kitchen counter again, he plucked the stuffed animal off the granite and threw it in with the rest of the wash.

The boy had been in the shower for a good twenty minutes, with no signs of getting out soon, and Sebastian was hungry. He took the portion of soup he’d been heating for himself and quickly ate his dinner, putting more from the fridge into the pot to heat up. He heard the water shut off after a few more minutes, shortly followed by the bathroom door creaking open. He turned with a smile to greet the boy and the change was… underwhelming. His hair still looked greasy and matted, and he hadn’t even bothered to take off the dirty bandage from his eye. Sebastian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“We’ll get you a proper bath later. Come and eat.”

He spooned a small bowl of the chicken and vegetable soup for the kid, not knowing his appetite, and set it down at the table for him. To his surprise, the boy ate like a rabid animal; the dish was completely empty in what felt like an instant. He served a few more bowls to the kid, a little dumbstruck by how much he ate, until there was nothing left in the pot. He chuckled as he cleaned the dishes.

“When was the last time you ate?”

“Wednesday.” Ah. And he already knew what that meal had been. He stuck the pot on the drying rack and slung the rag over the side of the sink.

“Still hungry?” He couldn’t imagine anyone still being hungry after that, but it couldn’t hurt to check. The boy nodded. “Then I’ll get you some bread.” After a few minutes, the toaster dinged and a couple slices of buttered toast popped out. Like before, he made short work of the food and cleared his plate at the same pace he’d eaten the soup. Sebastian pulled out the chair across from his and took a seat. 

“What’s your name?” It took him a few seconds to respond.

“Ciel.” 

“Surname?” Sebastian mocked his question from earlier.

“....Phantomhive.” 

“Well, Ciel,” Sebastian chimed, “I’m giving you a proper bath before I let you anywhere near my couch cushions.”

Surprisingly, Ciel followed him to the bathroom obediently, slinking into the corner as Sebastian knelt down and began to run the water. Once the temperature was right, not too hot nor cold, he closed the door behind him. He could see all of the colour drain from Ciel’s face as soon as he realized what was going on. Having relaxed a bit after eating, he was back to the same tense demeanor he had when he first walked through the door. His shoulders stiffened up and he seemed to close in on himself; he looked up at Sebastian expectantly for a moment, before releasing his breath and beginning to get undressed. With his clothes out of the way and a good bit of the dirt washed off of his skin, Sebastian could see how his thin body was riddled with bumps and bruises, with scratches and cuts spread out all over his skin. With shaking legs, Ciel pulled off his underwear and stepped into the bathtub. The way he walked was like a baby deer. Sebastian so badly wanted to offer up support, but he knew that he shouldn’t touch the kid any more than absolutely necessary. He settled into the porcelain tub and the shallow water, trying to cover up with whatever suds were floating around. With the sleeves of his button-up rolled up to his elbows, Sebastian reached for the pitcher and scooped it full of water, slowly pouring it over the young boy's head.

“Sorry about this,” he said sympathetically. He knew he was already terrified enough. 

Washing his hair was easy enough, although it was clear Ciel didn’t enjoy it. He tried to be as gentle as possible massaging the soap through his wet hair, but he still needed some force to get it actually clean. It took three shampoos to get all of the muck out of his hair, the entire time for each Sebastian could feel the boy trembling. Washing his body wasn’t insanely difficult either. He lathered up the most gentle soap he had— rose and goat-milk— onto a soft rag, and wiped all of the dirt off his skin. Underneath, his skin was surprisingly pale and smooth, albeit a little irritated. Once he got to his back and chest, things became a little rougher. It started with a few tears, which soon turned into wailing for Sebastian to please let go of him as held his shoulder, wiping the rag across his lower back. Not wanting to give the poor thing any more pain, he obliged and handed the cloth off to Ciel, seeing as he could reach the rest on his own. The boy seemed thankful for this. He wasn’t sure what all had happened to him in the past, but he certainly wouldn’t appreciate a stranger cleaning his privates. 

Lastly was what Sebastian was most concerned about— his bandaged eye. He peeled the wet cloth away from his face as tenderly as he could, not wanting to pull off any scabs and hurt Ciel. To his surprise, and relief, all of the dried blood was only stuck, and whatever injury he had was already healed. Through the boy’s silent tears he gently wiped away any gunk with a fresh wash rag, until, for what he assumed was the first time in several months, he was completely clean. He was hoping for the best when Ciel opened his right eye, but it was immediately clear that it was totally destroyed. Rather than the same bold blue of his left eye, the iris looked almost like it had been stirred up; it was but a splotch of milky lilac. Sebastian wanted to ask what had happened, but now wasn't the time to pry. Instead, he silently drained the tub and dried the boy off. It was quite sad, really— under the towel he could feel the bones poking out of his skin. His spine had a defined line and he could count each rib if he wanted to. It really did feel like he had one of the living dead in his home. With the help of a blowdryer, Ciel’s hair was soft and fluffy after a few minutes. This was the first time Sebastian saw what he really looked like. The boy that stood in his bathroom was completely different from the grubby street urchin he had let inside an hour and a half ago. His skin was smooth and milky pink, and his hair was a soft slate color. He had to admit that he was a very beautiful boy. So much so that, if it weren’t for the fact he was dressing his wounds, he probably wouldn’t have believed him to be real. After he was completely cleaned up, Sebastian opened the bathroom door, and Ciel shot out of there in a flash. He was obviously mad at him, and he had every right to be. 

“I didn’t want to do that either, y’know.” No response. “I’ll set up a bed for you on the couch.” No response. As he turned around to fetch an extra blanket, he heard the tail end of something. 

“Hm?”

“Bitter Rabbit. Where is he?”

“Your bunny? It’s in the wash with your clothes. It’ll be dry in a bit.”

“I can’t sleep without it,” Ciel mumbled, a little embarrassed. His face turned the slightest shade of pink. Sebastian couldn’t help but smile. 

“Then we'll just have to wait.” He plopped down into his favorite armchair. “Do you want to watch something on TV?”

“No.” Well okay then.

Ciel walked around and perched himself at the opposite end of the couch, farthest away from Sebastian’s chair. He instead took to keeping Sebastian under tight surveillance, not even looking away for a moment. It was a bit uncomfortable to be honest, but if that’s what made him feel safe then he wasn’t going to complain. 

If they were waiting for the dryer, he could at least try to make some conversation. After a bit of prying, he was able to get a little information out of Ciel, finding out that he was thirteen, and he had run away from somewhere that wasn’t home. The conversation was short lived; a few minutes later and it was back to the same suffocating silence. The timer on the dryer ended up being Sebastian’s savior, giving him a reason to get up and do something else. He took his sweet time unloading and folding. After five or so minutes he returned with the freshly cleaned clothes and Ciel’s rabbit, both still warm. He was already settled in on the couch under the blanket Sebastian gave him, about asleep. He reached out for the stuffed animal, taking it into his arms and burying his face in the fluff on the top of its head. It was 11 o’clock by now.

“I’m going to sleep soon.”

Ciel made a small grunt and looked up with bleary eyes.

“My room is at the end of the hall. Tell me if you need something.”

Sebastian waited for a response, which ended up being a halfhearted nod. He flicked the lightswitch off and went to his room to change into a pair of sweatpants before collapsing into the soft mattress. 

Everything went smoothly until Sebastian was woken up by a crash in the living room. He rolled over, a bit confused, before checking his phone. 3:28 am. Fuck. Forcing himself out of bed, he made his way to the living room and turned the hallway light back on to discover Ciel curled up in a trembling ball, and the floor lamp knocked over on its side. He knelt down a bit away from the sofa.

“Everything okay?” Ciel didn’t move, other than his small form shaking in the dim light. He talked into his knees.

“‘M shorry about your lamp...” He uncurled himself and wrapped the fluffy blanket around his shoulders, hugging Bitter Rabbit a bit tighter. He sniffled and wiped his nose on his forearm. “Was just a nightmare.” Faint light reflected off his wet eyes and the tears that stained his cheeks.

“Don’t worry about it, all it needs is a new bulb.” He felt the weight of Ciel’s gaze resting on his chest, and he was made suddenly aware that he was still half-naked. It looked like Ciel wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. “Do you want me to stay?” He squeezed the plush even tighter into his chest and nodded nervously at the suggestion. There was no way in hell he was letting Sebastian close to him again, that much he knew, but at least this meant he wasn’t upset about the bath anymore. He took a seat next to the couch in his armchair and read, while Ciel snuggled up into the corner of the sofa in the fetal position. It took about fifteen minutes for him to fall back asleep, and Sebastian was too engrossed in the plot of the novel to go back to his room. He ended up staying there until morning.

Sunlight poured through the windows and fell over Sebastian’s eyes. He couldn’t remember falling asleep. The chair was comfortable enough though, sleeping in it for one night wasn’t awful; his main concern was losing his place in his book. Deciding it was a problem for later, he set it on the side table and stretched his arms out as he rejoined the waking world. He looked around the room. The roughly boy-shaped lump on the couch wasn’t moving. Ciel was still asleep, which was probably to his benefit; he would be able to get things done more easily. After a quick trip to his room to change into his day clothes, Sebastian prepared what he needed to make breakfast. On most days he would have woken up earlier and gone for a run before finishing the morning with his normal omelet, but the sun was already up and it was too late for that. Besides, he had a sneaking suspicion that leaving a kid to wake up alone in his house would not end favorably. 

Sebastian settled on making pancakes for him and Ciel; anything too heavy would probably make the poor thing sick to his stomach. It wasn’t until he flipped the first couple pancakes that he felt himself being watched again, turning around to find a little head peeking over the edge of the couch. Not wanting to leave the stove, he finished cooking the last few before heading over to the sink and talking over the bar while he washed the dishes. 

“Good morning,” he sang almost mockingly to the bed-head in front of him. As expected, he was met with a blank stare and silence. He took it as an opportunity to try talking again. “I made pancakes.” This time he actually got a bit of a reaction out of Ciel, who perked up with interest at the mention of more food. Sebastian found it hard to hold back a laugh as he invited the kid over to the table, “they’re still hot if you want one.”

The boy made his way over with shaky, tired legs, his body heavy from his fitful sleep. Pulling out a chair, he dropped himself down rather ungracefully, eyes wide when he saw the plate sat down in front of him. Perfect pancakes, covered with syrup and cut fruit. Who knew the last time he’d had a real breakfast. He showed little restraint in digging in. Compared to the night before, he ate at an almost human pace, only asking for seconds. The moments at the table once the food first disappeared were awkward to say the least. Surprisingly, Ciel was the one to break the silence. 

“So when do you want me gone?” Sebastian looked up from his plate a bit confused, hesitating a bit before answering with another question. 

“Do you have anywhere to go?” Seemingly stunned from a response that had even a semblance of caring, Ciel didn’t answer. “How about I phone the—”

“Don’t call the police.” A pause.

“May I ask why?” His next thought was interrupted before he even spoke.

“They won’t do anything. Legally dead.”

Well... that was a bit of a curveball, but if the boy brought it up so casually, he figured he would have to treat it the same.

“Then that settles it, you can stay here as long as you want. I’m not letting you go back to living on the streets.” He couldn’t quite tell what went on behind those eyes- or rather, that eye. After all of those calculating looks, Ciel’s only response was a nod. Sebastian smiled. He was doing good; he wanted a weird little flatmate anyways, although he was expecting it to be in feline form. After the two had finished eating, all that was left to do was put their plates into the dishwasher. He gathered up the used dishes and set them on the metal rack inside the machine. Ciel immediately got up and went back to the same spot on the couch.

It was the weekend now. Sebastian had met all of his deadlines. With no worry of work, today would be good to go shopping for groceries and get some basic clothing for Ciel. He looked at the half-asleep kid on his couch. Taking him out in public would probably be a bad idea, he didn’t want to overwhelm the little thing. He doubted he’d do any real damage to the place, so it would be safe to let him be if he were to just lie around all day. He tossed the TV remote to the boy, which he immediately regretted when he saw him flinch terribly.

“I’m going to the store. Is there anything you want?” He thought it over for a brief moment.

“...Anything?” 

“Within reason, of course.”

“I like sweets…” came a hushed response. A short laugh.

“Then I’ll make sure to pick up something,” and with the jingle of his keys and a closing of the door, he was gone.

Ciel sat in silence on the couch. He was alone again— both a relief, and a curse. But at least it was a different type of alone, there was still someone who would care for him, even a little. Mr. Michaelis would be back in a few hours and gratefully give him the space he needed. He picked up the remote that was thrown at him earlier, hitting that big red button and turning on the TV. It had been years since he last had the luxury of television, he wasn’t even sure what to watch. After scrolling through the channels, he settled on just watching some old cartoons. The show wasn’t great, but it passed the time and was mildly entertaining— and sadly enough, it was the most fun he’d had in a while. 

After a few mind-numbing hours he heard Mr. Michaelis unlocking the door again. It was about 2:30; he checked the programming guide for the time. The man walked in carrying groceries in one arm and a plastic bag hung from the other. Setting both down on the counter, he wasted no time in setting the food into the fridge, with a few things going into the pantry.

“I got stuff to make chocolate chip cookies. ‘S that okay?”

Ciel had either forgotten to greet him or didn’t care to. Either way, Sebastian didn’t take it personally. With the groceries put away, he set the plastic bag down on the countertop and pulled out its contents. He dropped the pile onto the couch cushion opposite of Ciel.

“Clothes.” 

The boy took only a few seconds looking through them before he set them down on the floor beside the sofa. He mumbled his thanks before resuming his wary surveillance of the man in front of him. 

The rest of their day was quite uneventful. Sebastian had found where he had drifted off in his book and finished it in a short hour. With nothing else to do, he took his downtime to work on his own novella. Mystery, horror, nihilism, a bit Lovecraft inspired. Nothing too unique or exciting, but it brought in enough extra money to live rather comfortably. After spending a good bout of time on his passion project, he shot up, giving his distracted company a good scare.

“I totally forgot to feed you lunch, didn’t I?” It wasn’t really a question. He definitely did, but it sounded a little better if he put it that way.

To be fair, Ciel had forgotten too. He was either asleep or too focused on the TV to care.

“How does an early dinner sound? We can have a snack before bed” Ciel sat up and stretched his back a bit. 

“Okay…”

Sebastian wanted to air on the safe side of things, still scared to give the little one something that wouldn’t sit well.

“What kind of sandwich would you like?”

“Turkey,” Ciel said, a bit unsure. Just turkey. Elementary, but it was something he could do. He handed off the rather plain sandwich to the boy, who took it back to the couch. Sebastian wanted to tell him that he wasn’t allowed to eat in the living room, but he didn’t have it in him. The kid had gone through enough, he’d allow it just this once. The covers on the cushions were removable anyhow, they would be easy to wash. Sebastian fixed a Club for himself and then tidied up. He put the kettle on and spoke to nowhere in particular.

“Do you want tea?” Ciel’s head peeked over the edge of the couch again.

“Can I put milk and honey in it?”

“Of course.”

With stumbling limbs, he stepped his way up to the counter and watched as Sebastian set up two cups. 

“It’s just store-brand Earl Grey. Nothing fancy.” He told him as he poured the boiling water over the teabags. Ciel waited patiently and Sebastian brought out the milk and went to get the honey from the pantry. When he’d gotten it the way he liked, it looked to be more milk than tea, but Sebastian didn’t comment. Both of them returned to the living room where whatever obscure 90’s cartoon was playing.

Ciel sat himself back into his little nest and Sebastian waited before sitting down on the far end of the sofa. With the way Ciel jumped, he feared that he gave the boy a mini heart-attack, but after a few laughs and an ‘I remember this show!’ he seemed to calm back down. Sebastian tried not to smile when he saw that Ciel was comfortable enough to at least share the same piece of furniture as him. It was progress, even if he still wasn’t free from his watchful eye.

As the night came to a close, Ciel was able to change into actually clean underwear and brush his teeth; he insisted on wearing the oversized shirt. ‘It’s comfortable’ was the reason he gave. Sebastian promised to stay with him until he fell asleep, in case there was a repeat of the night before.

In the morning when the sunlight spilled over the peaceful living room again, Ciel was the first to wake. He sat up to find that the man had fallen asleep in the armchair while keeping him company. Maybe Mr. Michaelis— no— maybe _Sebastian_ was someone he could trust.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg such a long break between chapters and it's only 5k words oops. It's nowhere near perfect but I'll learn a lesson from chapter 1 Sebastian and ignore my perfectionism :)
> 
> Thank you to @cuntyciel on twitter for beta reading + revisions

Sebastian began to realize that Ciel’s antics were usually more infuriating than they were endearing.

It’d been a week since he’d opened his home to the boy. The first day, Ciel was low maintenance and nothing more than another mouth to feed. Sebastian had no problem making more food; he was proud of his cooking, and now he had a captive taste-tester. The home-cooked meals seemed to do the boy good, anyway. He always ate his fill, and after a few days he looked less like he would keel over and die at any second; his cheeks had regained color, and his stomach didn’t look constantly caved in. 

During the night, however, Ciel took every ounce of his energy and the last thread of his sanity. The boy always made things harder than they had to be, trying to wriggle his way out of the bath, refusing to go to bed, or just being a brat in general. Each bath after the first left Sebastian with scratches on his arms, even with bites on occasion. He’d also managed to properly break the man’s floor lamp, and he had the audacity to say that it wasn’t  _ his  _ fault. He wasn’t acquainted with very many street kids, but he was pretty sure that they were supposed to be grateful when someone took them in.

And then there were the nightmares. God the  _ nightmares _ . Ciel woke him up every single night without fail, and at this point, Sebastian had just taken to falling asleep in the chair next to him. He was already there when the boy inevitably woke up crying, and he didn’t have to put any extra care in keeping him company until he fell back asleep. But no matter how comfortable the seat was, it wasn’t built to be slept in- and he could definitely feel the effects of that. 

Ciel seemed to be, more or less, used to him as well. He wasn’t afraid of sharing the same breathing space or turning his back, and he definitely wasn’t afraid to be a pain in the ass. He even showed affection by giving Sebastian random things he either made or found in some odd corner of the house (usually just a rock or a piece of origami). Sweet moments like this were about the only thing stopping the man from throwing him back out onto the street.

Today was another workday for Sebastian, a Friday. And god he needed the weekend. He finished up his day by emailing his supervisor and finally giving his spine the sweet relief of a much-needed stretch. His neck hurt. His back hurt. Everything hurt. His sympathy went out to all the parents who put up with this shit for years on end. 

Turning around, he was met with the boy sitting on a cheap stool in the corner, just staring at him. He would have been freaked out, probably  _ should _ have been, had this not been the situation for the whole week. Sebastian had hoped after the first few days, Ciel would relax enough to leave him to work in peace. He gave up on that wishful thinking quickly. That boy never let him leave his sight, the only reprieve being when he was out in town or in the bathroom. To be fair, Ciel was never disruptive or distracting- but he still didn’t enjoy the feeling of having a hole burned into the back of his head.

Ciel moved up from the chair and looked at him expectantly. 

“Hungry?” Sebastian asked. The boy hummed, which he had figured out a few days ago meant ‘yes’ in Ciel-language. It was still early in the evening, so there would be plenty of time to cook a proper meal for them both— unlike last Friday. “Come on little weirdo, I’ll make stir fry.”

He wasn’t sure if he really meant the insult or not.

Ciel trotted across the living room and plopped himself into his favorite corner of the couch. He didn’t ask to help with dinner- Sebastian banned him from the stove after he set a potholder on fire trying to make tea. Ciel had no complaints about being free from any work; at least he was being taken care of for once. It’d been so long since anyone had done something for him, even if this treatment was for more for convenience than anything else. There was nothing else to do but sit for half an hour while Sebastian fixed dinner. The scent of meat and spices wafted through the air, making Ciel’s mouth water with anticipation. It smelled  _ heavenly.  _ As soon as he heard the call that dinner was ready, he jumped off the couch and all but skipped to the dining table.

Sebastian found it cute how excited the boy got at the promise of food. As he seemingly floated to the table, he took his plate from the man and sat down, not even waiting to start. Meals were really the only times he could get a conversation out of Ciel, even though they were mainly about food. Other than how fast he would eat sometimes, he was surprisingly well mannered and made good company.

After a few bites of the sauced chicken and vegetables, he spoke up.

“Will you make me cookies?” It’d been almost a week since he bought the ingredients, he nearly forgot until Ciel bugged him for sweets at every meal that day. Sebastian took a deep breath through his nose to remind himself that Ciel wasn’t trying to annoy him on purpose. He was just a kid who was excited about sweets.

“Of course, his lordship. Doth thou want to help me?” 

“Mmh,” came through a mouthful of food before he swallowed, ignoring the jab. “I’ve never baked before.” A laugh.

“Then you can do the easy stuff and leave the rest to me.”

Ciel stayed at the table and watched while Sebastian cleaned up the kitchen and got out everything they needed. He padded his way over to the counter and jumped up to sit on it. The boy ‘helping’ ended up being him watching Sebastian do all the work while he occasionally stole chocolate chips until he got kicked out of the kitchen again. He sulked back to the couch, where he watched that poor cartoon cat get his ass handed to him by the mouse again.

Once the cookies were in the oven and Ciel could no longer steal ingredients, he was allowed back into the kitchen. He stood and waited as Sebastian leaned his back against the granite and dried the dishes off, the pair watching them bake in a wordless consensus to eat them while they were still hot and fresh. When the timer went off, Sebastian pulled them out and set the baking sheet on top of the stove so they could cool to an edible temperature. He was worried that he would have to physically restrain the boy as they were moved onto a plate and set down onto the table. In the time that Sebastian had eaten maybe two or three of the dozen, Ciel had happily inhaled the rest. He leaned forwards in the chair and looked content as his sweet tooth had finally been sated. For now, that is.

The boy rested his head on the table, pleased. 

“Were they good?” He knew the answer, but Sebastian wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to be praised for his cooking; at least that’s one thing Ciel was good for.

“As far as I could tell.” He received a questioning look before he continued, “Don’t look at me like that, it’s been a few years.”

With that, he remembered who his company was, and the man felt a bit guilty for getting mad at him earlier. He was ready to start yelling at an  _ orphan _ .

“That’s good then,” he gave a soft smile as he got up from his chair and motioned for Ciel to do the same, “let’s go back to the couch.”

In mere minutes, any semblance of the guilt Sebastian felt earlier had disappeared. Ciel was having a fit because he ‘stole his spot’ in the softest corner of the couch. Orphans could be little shits too.

“ _ Pleeeeeeaaase, _ ” he pushed one of the cushions into a very annoyed Sebastian’s side using his feet. He looked ready to snap. “I like that spot,” he pouted.

_ ‘This is my fucking couch. I paid for it.’ _

He tried to ignore it and pay attention to his phone, or literally anything else, but with about five minutes of incessant whining and puppy eyes, he gave in.

“ _ Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaase? _ ”

_ ‘My hair’s going to turn grey early with this shit.’ _

Breathing a heavy sigh through his nose, he scooted over so Ciel could take the corner. He looked ever-so-smug as he climbed over and laid back into the cushion, one hand on his swollen tummy, purring like a lazy cat in the sun. That look of self-satisfaction was starting to piss Sebastian off, and he had half a mind to push him off the couch and retake the spot. But he didn’t. He definitely couldn’t, now that he’d let the boy have his way.

Ciel would have been lying if he said he was sorry, but he did feel bad for upsetting the man who was nothing but nice to him. He watched as he angrily typed something into his phone, his eyebrows drawn together. He was mad, and that was enough to put the boy on edge. Was he going to hit him? He looked ready to do it multiple times over the past few days, but he never laid a finger on him. He even let Ciel have his way. The man was nice and never tried to touch him weird. He knew Sebastian wouldn’t hurt him, so he lowered his guard and gave the best version of an apology he could muster.

Sebastian felt a heavy head press against his shoulder. Ciel was dozing off, right? He doubted that he was leaning into him on purpose. After a few minutes, he looked down to find that, while his eyes were closed, the boy was still awake as ever if his wiggling was anything to go by. It was definitely on purpose, then. Seeing this, he placed a gentle hand on Ciel’s head and carefully stroked his hair. He was expecting some sort of explosive reaction like he had on the first night, one where Ciel realized what he was doing and darted to the other side of the room. He almost wanted that to happen, because then he would have a reason to stay mad at the kid. But instead, the boy leaned into the touch, nuzzling his head into his shoulder. There was absolutely no way Sebastian could ever get mad at him again. Though he hated to admit it, and as much as Ciel got on his last nerve, he couldn’t help but feel the need to protect such a fragile boy.

He hadn’t had the chance to really feel Ciel’s hair before. It was just as silky and feathery soft as it appeared. He took another look at him, his long eyelashes resting on his cheeks and doll face looking adorable even when squished. He really was so pretty, and such an angel too when he was in a good mood. It was such a shame about how he acted.

Still convinced this was some sort of fluke, he ran his hand across his cheek, gently saying his name.

“...Ciel?” 

Ciel opened his sleepy eyes to look up at him, and Sebastian braced himself to get scratched or slapped away like when he bathed him. But nothing happened. He just closed his eyes again, snuggling up next to him. He was like a little kitten, rubbing his cheek on him and putting all of his weight into Sebastian’s side. With the little body pressing into him, he released his breath and continued to pet his head. This was one of the few moments when the boy was nice to him; he would indulge in the sweet treatment while he still could. Once Ciel was leaning enough to nearly push him over, he snaked his arms around the thin waist, picking him up a little so he could pull him to sit on his lap. 

“Now we can both sit here,” he said as he moved the both of them back into the corner.

Ciel was a bit squirmy at first, making Sebastian worry that he pushed his boundaries too far. But he soon got settled— leaning into the chest behind him like it was a heated pillow and calmed by the strong arms resting around his waist. It felt warm and comfortable; cuddling with Ciel gave Sebastian some sort of inner peace he didn’t know he needed. This is what he had been expecting, wanting even, when he agreed to let him stay. His fingers wandered to meet the back of the boy’s smaller hand. Compared to his somewhat rough palms, the delicate skin was baby-soft as Sebastian ran his fingers along the tendons, taking in the moment. His remaining hand crept down to the side of his little thigh. The skin was just as soft, with the smallest bit of peach fuzz covering it. He simply held his hand there, and it almost covered his whole thigh on its own— such a tiny thing. The two sat like that for at least an hour until Ciel could barely keep his eyes open.

“‘M tired,” he mumbled through a yawn.

“I noticed. Come on, get up,” he patted the boy’s leg. Ciel slid off of him and stretched out with another squeaky yawn. He picked up a set of clean pajamas (which were, in reality, just underwear and a stolen t-shirt) and signaled for Ciel to follow him to the bathroom. “I’m giving you another bath. You need a haircut.”

“I took a shower this morning,” he shook his head.

“That doesn’t mean anything. I don’t know what you do in the shower for 30 minutes but it sure as hell isn’t getting clean. Now come on, it’s been two days.” Ciel grumbled in protest but still followed. Compared to before, he was much more docile. He stayed still as the shampoo was worked into his scalp, only really flinching when he got a pitcher of water unceremoniously dumped on his head. Sebastian just needed to wash his back this time, he left the rest to the boy and let him finish on his own. Even though Ciel seemed okay with being held right now, he didn’t want to risk being covered in scratch marks again.

Ciel came out of the bath rubbing his head less-than-gently with a towel and got dressed before he sat down on the edge of the tub like he was asked to. 

“It won’t take long, but you can barely see as it is. We don’t need bangs covering your good eye.”

After the first snips to the back of his head, he grew used to the sound. He tried his best to stay still, and as promised it went by quickly. Sebastian was only barely starting to cut his fringe when Ciel made his signature move— scrambling away as fast as he could, eyes wide with fear. 

“What is it?” Sebastian asked in the softest voice he could muster, a bit taken aback. Ciel stayed quiet, shivering from the cold room and anxiety. He knelt down and raised an eyebrow, “I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me.” Ciel opened his mouth and could barely get any words out.

“It’s sharp, scissors… the,” he stammered, “Eye. Pointy.” 

With that info, it didn’t take a genius to figure out why he was half-blind. He should have expected this, honestly. But Ciel still needed a haircut, he couldn’t keep living with his fringe so long it brushed the tip of his nose. 

“Sit back over here, I’ll protect your eyes.” Ciel crawled back over to the side of the tub and took his seat, still shaking. “Here, don’t worry.”

He flinched as a hand moved towards his face, but he stayed put like he was asked. With one hand Sebastian gently covered his eyes, trimming his bangs with the other. It was done, and both let out a sigh of relief.

“There, now you can see again,” Ciel honestly couldn’t remember the last time his hair wasn’t clouding his vision. His fringe wasn’t tickling his eyes anymore, and for the first time in a while, he didn’t look like a street urchin. He was led by the hand out of the bathroom.

“Will you be okay to sleep in here on your own?” Sebastian asked, laying down a blanket and a few extra pillows on the sofa. “I think if I sleep in that chair anymore my spine is going to break.”

“Because you’re old?” Ciel picked up his Bitter Rabbit from the floor.

“I’m not even going to give you the satisfaction of answering that question,” was his response, a little less joking than before. Ciel giggled.

“I’ll be fine,” the boy said as he curled up under the blanket, seconds away from falling asleep. With Ciel taken care of, Sebastian could finally take a shower and get in bed himself.

Normally he was a cold-showers-in-the-morning guy, but he fucking deserved this. He unclenched his jaw for the first time in days, letting the hot water fall onto his face. Night showers were his favorite, and he would do this every day if he could. The night in general was his favorite; it was the one time he could truly relax. A good fifteen minutes were spent just enjoying the warm feeling on his skin. After a good shave and nearly boiling himself alive, he decided to call it quits. Turning off the faucet, he dressed in his boxers and joggers. He saw himself in the mirror as he stepped out. He looked  _ awful. _ The bags under his eyes were the darkest they’d been since he was in uni; his usually sightly face looked gaunt and could probably make a baby cry with one glance. At least he was in his own bed for the first time in a week; as much as Ciel needed him, right now he needed sleep even more.

There are many things that make the nighttime pleasant for Sebastian. Waking up to a blood-curdling scream from his living room is not one of them.

He bolted up and took a few seconds to process, back still hurting and eyes still heavy with sleep. Nevermind. He  _ definitely _ could still get mad at Ciel. Hissing through his teeth, he repeated the mantra he’d picked up to keep himself sane as he wandered through the dark hall. 

_ He’s just a boy. He’s just a boy. _

On the verge of coming unhinged from sleep deprivation, he turned on the lamp, giving him just enough light to see the familiar scene before him: Ciel curled up with his back to the TV console as he sobbed. Everything around him shook as he trembled. Usually, he was able to self-soothe, to take a deep breath, and remember where he was. Now, he seemed nearly inconsolable- hysterical even. The heavy weight of his crying filled the room, only quieting when he saw the man.

“Se… bas… tian?” he tried to utter between sobs as he lifted his head from his knees. “Sebasti-” his name was cut off between sniffles and hiccups. He sounded desperate.

Sebastian was faced with Ciel clambering towards him, eyes puffy and cheeks painted with red. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to hold him tight, to make him feel safe. Sebastian pulled the boy close as he felt the skinny arms fling around his neck. He held him secure, buried right under his chin. The muffled sobs against his shoulder made him hold him even tighter, cradling him like a baby. He did everything he could to soothe the child, rubbing small circles into his skin as he shushed him, petting his head. Tender hands caressed the back of Ciel’s neck as Sebastian buried his nose in his hair, breathing in everything that was Ciel.

“It’s okay.” A gentle kiss on the crown of his head. “You’re okay.” Another on his temple.

He moved to look up at him. Sebastian’s attempt at comforting him only did so much; he still let out wet sobs as he trembled in his arms. His eyes welled with tears that begged to fall as he put his tiny hands on the chest in front of him in an attempt to steady himself. The small amount of light from the lamp mixed with the moonlight passing through the window, giving him the perfect view. Little dots like stars shone in the tears on his soft, blushed cheeks, the runs from his little upturned nose, his lips that were soft and pink and wet with saliva. Even crying he looked so beautiful, so ethereal.

Fucking hell. He couldn’t help himself.

Sebastian gently cupped Ciel’s chin, stroking it with his thumb and looking him in the eyes. He made sure to be careful with him. Slowly he pulled that perfect little face closer, hot breaths rolling down each others’ cheeks. The final gap was closed when Sebastian moved his head just a millimeter forwards. The boy was still sobbing when he gave little pecks to his bottom lip, and when he stroked his soft hair. His mouth was limp and slightly parted, begging to be pressed against his own. Ciel wasn’t startled or put off, it felt like they had both been wanting this. He gingerly tried to match Sebastian’s movements. His tongue poked between small lips, asking Ciel to open his mouth just a little bit more. He leaned forwards and just let himself be kissed. Sobs began to subside as they made way for quiet whimpers, his sable lashes fluttering closed with the smallest of moans. He tried to follow Sebastian's mouth when he drew away, their lips wet with each other and the boy’s tears. As a spider’s thread of saliva broke, Ciel’s eyes were lidded as he was left panting. Sebastian softly smiled at him while wiping off a tear.

“You’re so sweet. You’ve been so sweet to me tonight.” 

He held Ciel’s little back and rested his chin atop his head. He was so happy as he fell into him, melting in Sebastian’s arms like putty. Like that was exactly where he was supposed to be. He could hear his breathing even out, and his sobs were now few and far between. 

Sebastian slowly released him from his embrace, using the back of his knuckles to brush the hair out of his eyes. When he was calm enough to be let go, he cradled him and picked him up, only barely taking notice of the wet spot on his bottom. He assessed the damage to the living room. Nothing was broken, thankfully, the only evidence of the episode left was the dark spot in the middle of the couch. The poor kid really did need to be taken care of. 

It hadn’t soaked through into the cushion quite yet, much to his relief. All he needed to do was get the cover off and throw it into the laundry along with Ciel’s pajamas. He carefully set the boy down and unzipped the fabric cover, peeling it away. He ran over the inner cushion with a disinfecting wipe; you could never be too safe. 

He reached down and picked Ciel up from the armpits, moving him to rest on his hip. He carried him into the bathroom again, setting him down on the counter of the sink. He turned around to leave and find something dry for him to wear when he was met with a cry of protest.

“Wait! Don’t leave me... don’t leave me alone…” Ciel was pleading, “I don’t want to be alone again.”

He walked back to the counter and cupped the sweet little face in his hands, placing a kiss on his nose.

“It’ll only be five seconds, you won’t even notice I’m gone.” He returned shortly like he promised, dry underwear in hand. With one arm around Ciel’s waist, he raised him up just enough to strip the wet fabric off his legs. “Lift up your arms.” He did as told, allowing Sebastian to pull the comically large t-shirt over his head. From the tub, he took the same damp cloth he’d used earlier so he could wipe him off. With a hand under the back of his knee, he gently pulled up, silently asking the boy to move. Ciel lifted his leg and watched in silence as he was cleaned. He allowed Sebastian to run the rag down the soft skin of his inner thighs, only whimpering when it came to cleaning between his legs.

“You’re always so nice to me and I’ve been such a brat to you...” Ciel looked down, cheeks burning red from crying and embarrassment, tears threatening to form again. “I should be old enough to take care of this myself.” Sebastian moved to rest a hand on his knee. 

“I don’t mind.” He rinsed out the rag and slung it over the sink to dry. “Let me take care of you.” He handed Ciel the change of underwear and helped him get dressed for the second time that night. 

“Arms up again.” The t-shirt was nearly a dress on him. The dark fabric and death metal logo on the front didn’t match Ciel at all. “I don’t want you sleeping there anymore.” At these words, the boy seized up, panic welled through his body. He climbed onto the tall frame in front of him and clung to his neck, his legs keeping his waist in a death grip. Sebastian had no clue what had gotten into him.

“No,” he breathed out quietly, “I can’t sleep outside again.” He was utterly shocked, did this boy really think he was going to throw him out when he was like this? He squeezed him in his arms.

“No… no, I wouldn’t do that to you,” he rubbed his back, “You’re sleeping with me.” He pulled his head back when he heard sniffling, Ciel was crying again. “Hey, you don’t have to cry. I’ll be there.” Ciel sniffed and nodded his head, holding on tight as he was carried and plopped onto the bed. Sebastian walked over to his side and slipped under the covers, lifting up the other half to encourage the boy to do the same. He laid down on his side, holding the tiny hand between both of his. He was seconds away from falling asleep when he heard Ciel whisper. 

“S’bastian?” He opened his eyes to the best of his ability and gave out a soft grunt.

“Mmm?” 

“Are you awake?”

“Yeah.” He felt Ciel shuffle himself to the other side of the bed, scooting until he was right next to him and snuggled into his chest. Sebastian smiled and wrapped his arms around him, pulling his little leg to rest between his. The boy let out a hum of approval at the action and rested his head against the man’s bare chest, his hot breath tickling.

“You just wanted to cuddle?” 

He answered with another hum. Sebastian trailed his fingers down his back and pressed another kiss to the top of his head.

“Baby boy,” Ciel’s face grew hot and he pushed his head even further into his chest at the nickname. “Angel. Thanks for showing me the real you.”

After a few seconds, he pulled his head back up, his lips meeting the side of Sebastian’s collarbone and he rubbed his nose along his neck.

“M’ Daddy.” He squished his cheek into him again, purring and content.

Any chance of Sebastian sleeping went out the door when he felt his heart pounding. Blood rushed to his face and straight to where it definitely _shouldn’t_ _be going_ when you’re cuddling with a kid. Fuck. 

_ ‘Did he just?’ _

And now Ciel had him wrapped around his finger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been slacking on writing because my life is a living hell right now. At least there's a new chapter now! Go team Sebaciel!

The sun already hung high in the sky by the time Sebastian woke up. He shielded his eyes from the glare reflecting off the smooth glass of his phone as he rolled over to look at the clock. With a swipe, he opened the clock and saw that it was already 10:30. Too late to go running unless he wanted to bump into a thousand people. A low groan escaped his lips and he rolled back over into the nest of blankets and pillows. He wasn’t happy about oversleeping, but this was the first time Sebastian truly felt rested since Ciel first showed up— partially due to the warm little body tucked beside him. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Ciel’s soft snores and silky hair tickling his chest, gently held between the man’s arms. Sebastian looked over to his bedmate. Ciel was bathing in the warm light, only barely awake after the sudden movement and shifting weight on the mattress. His chest rose and fell lightly while nuzzled further into his pillow. He looked so peaceful, it was a shame they couldn’t stay like this all day. 

Sebastian lifted a guilty hand and tentatively rested it on the nape of Ciel’s neck, lest last night really had been a one-off moment. The child stirred as a thumb caressed his tender skin. Sebastian felt relieved as sleepy eyes fluttered open and greeted him with their soft blue and lilac gaze. Ciel sat up with the hand still on his neck and stretched himself out like a cat. He rubbed the dried tears out of his eyes before he opened his mouth.

“G’morning,” he said, stifling a yawn. And a good morning it was. Sebastian sat up as well and gave a light smile.

“Good morning.” He pressed a light kiss to the tiny forehead. 

Their eyes held for only a moment before the man slipped from beneath the covers and rifled through his drawers. Just another button-up and jeans, both in his signature black, would do well today. When he began to get undressed, Ciel looked startled and averted his eyes to the dark grey comforter. 

“W-Wha.. Why are you doing that here?!” His face flushed as he tried to find something, _anything_ else to look at other than Sebastian. Halfway through pulling down his sweatpants, he gave the boy a questioning look.

“This is my room? We’re both males. I’m not even naked.” He stated it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He let out a light chuckle, “you don’t have to be so shy.”

“Just do it somewhere else!” Ciel covered his working eye with one hand and made a shooing motion, his blush burned all the way to his ears. He heard Sebastian click his tongue, followed by the latch on the bathroom door. He breathed out a heavy sigh and stared into nothing as he tried to remember everything that happened last night. He flopped over onto his stomach, holding a pillow over his head as he recounted how safe, how _wanted_ he felt. Butterflies were flapping around in his tummy, while he pondered how he could get that attention again.

The bed was heaven compared to the cardboard or ground that Ciel had grown accustomed to sleeping on. He was fighting off another wave of sleep before he felt a strong hand rubbing at his shoulder, making him lift his head up and subsequently flipping the pillow onto the floor. He pushed himself back up to meet the man leaning over him.

“Come get your breakfast.” 

When Ciel finally came to, Sebastian had already stood back up and turned away to return to the kitchen. The boy quickly hopped out of the bed to follow. As he passed through the hall, a subtly sweet smell filled the air. A few steaming dishes were waiting on the kitchen island. He picked his bowl off the counter, only to feel a bit disappointed that it was just plain oatmeal. He took his seat and watched in horror as Sebastian happily ate his bowl completely unsweetened and without any toppings. Was this guy insane? 

He looked up when he noticed the man’s eyes looking pointedly at the untouched porridge, and then to his pouting face.

“If you wanted to put something in it you should’ve told me,” Sebastian stated with thinly veiled amusement. In no time he left his chair and returned to the table, cinnamon sugar and raisins in hand. “Give it here,” he more so demanded than asked. Ciel did as told and watched him fix the tasteless cereal into something actually worth eating. He rinsed off his bowl and left Ciel to finish his breakfast. By the time he brought his own finished bowl to the sink, Sebastian had already settled into the couch with his head supported on the armrest, watching something on his phone intently.

The kid was left to his own devices, as he was during the week. Normally Ciel would find a book to read or use paper napkins to fold little animals. But there was nothing that interested him to read, and there were only so many paper cranes one could make before going insane— Ciel feared he was approaching that threshold. His eyes wandered back to Sebastian, who was sprawled out on the couch and watching Youtube videos. Were they really so important that he would ignore Ciel for them?

His little feet padded across the carpet and he dropped down on the floor by the man’s head, leaning his head on the cushion to get a better look. 

Cat videos. Of course, it was cat videos. 

“There you are, I was worried you hated me again,” Sebastian paused the video to sit up a bit. He put his phone back into his pocket and patted his thigh. “You’re always welcome to come sit on my lap, I won’t complain.” Ciel didn’t need to be told twice, climbing up and plopping right down onto Sebastian’s legs. Arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer. “Come here, little one. Is this what you wanted?” The question was met with a hum of approval as Ciel buried his face in the man’s chest.

The two just sat there for a while, enjoying each other’s presence and listening to the lively streets outside. The longer they sat in silence, the more Ciel wanted Sebastian to give him his undivided attention.

Growing impatient, the boy pushed himself up and rested his hands on Sebastian’s shoulders. He took in the sight of the man he had been laid on top of. His face was so handsome. His eyes were surrounded by long, dark lashes and they always seemed so warm. 

At the movement, Sebastian stopped petting the soft hair and paid attention to the boy straddling his lap. 

“‘Bastian?”

“What is it?” He asked Ciel. The boy moved so quickly, did he do something to upset him?

Ciel said nothing but tapped a finger to his lips.

_Oh.. Poor thing wants a kiss but he’s too embarrassed to ask._

Fruitlessly fighting back a smile, Sebastian scooted back a bit so he could reach better, and allowed his fingers to thread back into the slate-colored locks. He sighed into the kiss as their lips met, happy to be doing this again. Like before, Ciel allowed his tongue in without complaint and let Sebastian taste him. Despite his inexperience, the boy tried his best to match his movements. 

Ciel let out a small whimper as his face was pushed away. He wanted to keep going; it was sticky and wet and it felt _good._ He wanted to stay wrapped up in those arms and think about nobody else. Normally Ciel was scared of people with tall, strong builds; they reminded him of how easily he could be overpowered. But Sebastian was different; he felt protected, safe when he held him. He really was a good daddy, why hadn’t he noticed sooner?

Long fingers gently brushed the hair out of Ciel’s eyes. It was an absolutely adorable sight, seeing sugary lips bitten and glossy with spit; eyes misty with emotion the boy didn’t even know yet, just for the big strong man who saved him. Toned arms wrapped around him and Ciel rubbed his face into the crook of Sebastian’s neck. The man smelled of cinnamon and cologne, something a bit musky. He liked it a lot.

Sebastian continued smoothing his hair while the smaller fell asleep on him. He took advantage of this opportunity to find something to do for the day. He pulled his phone out and opened up a group chat called “Butler’s Pantry,” affectionately (annoyingly) named after Sebastian’s nickname in college. Trying not to jostle Ciel, he typed out a message.

‘ _What the fuck do kids like’_

_Sebastian 11:04 am_

_‘Why? Planning on hitting on one? I’m sure their parents would love that’_

_Bardroy 11:04 am_

He hissed at the message.

_‘It’s Ciel, I want to take him somewhere fun’_

_Sebastian 11:05 am_

_‘Wait, Ciel is an actual kid?’_

_Finnian 11:05 am_

_‘We all thought he was a cat’_

_Bardroy 11:06 am_

_‘We did. Especially since you said he was “purring like a bastard”’_

_Mey Rin 11:07 am_

Being reminded of the message made him feel a bit guilty. The situation wasn’t his fault, Ciel just didn’t know how to ask for anything.

_‘You’re all impossible. Just give me ideas on where I should take him’_

_Sebastian 11:07 am_

_‘Finny is basically a kid, why don’t you ask him’_

_Bardroy 11:07 am_

_‘Ummmmm... the arcade?’_

_Finnian 11:09 am_

Good enough. He ran a thumb across the boy’s soft cheek, waking him up.

“Do you want to go out today, baby?”

-

Ciel held Sebastian’s hand as the two walked into the building— a little retro arcade named Noah’s Ark. Sebastian pushed the door open and led Ciel inside. He had chosen this place because any arcades downtown would likely result in a sensory overload for the boy, with all its loud music and crowded lobby. He was pleased with this decision— aside from the odd choice of name, the place was quite charming. Galaxy print carpet was lit up by neon signs lining the walls and the blinking and beeping game cabinets, while a bar in the back served food and drink. There was hardly anyone else there except some older teens and adults his age, the energy was calm and quiet. A wave of nostalgia hit Sebastian like a brick… maybe this trip would be a bit more self-indulgent than he intended.

Unsurprisingly, Ciel dragged him over to a claw machine filled with pillows shaped like conversation hearts with candies hanging on the tag. His eyes were wide and he pressed his face against the glass in wonder, he’d never used one of these before. When he turned around to give Sebastian puppy eyes, he didn’t have it in him to tell Ciel that these were usually scams. He fished around in his pockets for a couple of pounds and placed the coins in the eager boy’s palm.

Sebastian prepared himself to deal with Ciel’s oncoming heartbreak of not getting a prize. He was fighting to tell the kid that he would just _buy_ him the pillows for cheaper. But, after about thirty seconds, Ciel turned around holding a pink heart that said “cutie” to his chest, a pleased smile on his face. He had won it on his first try. Sebastian’s heart almost melted; it was the first time he saw Ciel smile like that. He dropped another coin into the small outstretched hand. Hell, he’d drop 50 if it meant the boy kept that angelic smile on his face. He watched as another plush was won, this one being purple with some corny pun about sugar. Ciel gave him both to hold and did it again. It turned out, Ciel was good at crane games. _Really_ good. So good, in fact, that after winning two more, a staff member with fiery orange hair walked up to them and asked them to please stop before they ran out of prizes.

The pillows were bulky and awkward to hold. Sebastian hadn’t thought to bring a bag, which ended up being poor planning on his part. Luckily, the barmaid at the back promised to keep a safe watch over them— for a tip, of course. 

With the excitement of prizes out of Ciel’s system, he happily looked around for the games that they had originally come here to play. He was fond of the classics; he was surprisingly skilled at Tetris and Galaga, even managing to set a high score on the latter. But, strategy games were about all he could play. He was absolute rubbish at Skee Ball and frustrated that he couldn’t get any higher than the 2,000 point hole. Then of course there was Mario Kart, in which Sebastian found Ciel’s failure adorable.

He sat himself down in the seat and put a coin in the slot, only to realize a few seconds later that he was too short to reach the pedals. His arms were crossed over his chest as he huffed, in both annoyance and embarrassment. Locating the return coin button, he prodded it a few times to no avail. Ciel was ready to give up when Sebastian lifted him up and slid right onto the seat under him. He felt himself be pulled into the man’s chest; a chin rested on top of his head.

“I’ll press the pedals, you just worry about playing.” Sebastian couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous situation. They finished in 10th place, a pretty shoddy job, but he did his best regardless. Ciel ended up too flustered to focus on steering, he fell off Rainbow Road more times than he could count. Sebastian leaned his head over the bony shoulder, ready to tease Ciel until he saw his flushed red cheeks.

“I don’t like this game.” He delivered a puny kick to the machine. A few days ago the childish act would seem bratty and obnoxious to Sebastian, but right now it was nothing short of precious. The hold around his waist tightened and Sebastian nosed at his neck. 

“You can’t win at everything, baby,” the whisper into his skin made every hair on Ciel’s body stand on edge, “there’s always something else fun we could try.”

Ciel leaned back into the gentle touch, a bit disappointed when Sebastian pulled back and ushered him out of the seat. He took the tiny hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze.

“I want to show you my favorite game,” he said with childish excitement that rivaled Ciel’s. The boy was led to a small row of pinball machines and Sebastian wasted no time slipping a 50 pence coin through the slot. He grabbed Ciel’s shoulders and directed him to stand against the machine. Sebastian punched the start button and guided Ciel to a knob on right. 

“Here’s the ball launcher, just pull and let go to start.” His hands completely covered the boy’s as he slid them to two buttons on the sides of the cabinet. “These control the flippers, you need them to stop the ball from falling.”

Ciel followed the instructions, shooting the ball across the playfield and frantically smashing buttons— a strategy that worked surprisingly well. Sebastian was perfectly content to stand behind him and watch. He did well, getting about five minutes out of the machine before losing his last ball. The man was digging around in his pocket for another coin when he heard Ciel’s stomach growl.

“You want dinner now?”

The boy nodded and followed to the bar at the back of the arcade. Ciel needed help getting onto the tall stool, getting a little boost before he could sit down. Sebastian took his seat next to him and the barmaid walked over to the pair. Her curls and large chest bounced as she stepped in her heels. 

“Name’s Beast. What can I getcha?” She leaned onto the counter and gave a not-so-subtle look to Sebastian. 

He didn’t need to look over the menu for long. He wasn’t confident in the quality of arcade food, and chose the least offensive-looking item— you'd really have to work to fuck up fish and chips. Ciel ordered the same, swinging his legs back and forth as they dangled from the seat. His attention was drawn to the small dessert menu that laid flat on the bar. All they had listed were milkshakes of virtually every flavor.

“I remember when I used to beg my parents for a strawberry milkshake every time we went to a restaurant,” a sad smile crept onto his lips at the memory. “My dad always said no, that too much sugar would make me hyper.” The look on Ciel’s face was pained, he’d never talked about his family before. Sebastian changed the subject.

“Do you want one _now?_ ’ Ciel looked up at him with wide eyes, his expression changed to a grin almost instantly.

“Really? I can?” Sebastian looked back to call for the barmaid.

“He’ll also have a-“

“Yeah, yeah. I heard,” the woman interrupted. She waved her hand dismissively without so much as turning around.

After fifteen or so minutes they were brought their food. It wasn’t bad, just passable, but all that mattered to Sebastian right now was seeing Ciel drink his shake. He had to remind him to come up for air in between sips— if they could even still be called that. It was a miracle he didn’t make himself sick.

Ciel felt himself swell with pride when Sebastian declined to give the woman his number. He was _his_ , he didn’t need someone else. Sebastian carried the plushies under his arm as they walked out, hand in hand. One of the stuffed hearts struggled to fall out of his grasp as Ciel broke the plastic tag holding the candy on with a _snap_. Little teeth made short work of the foil packaging, tearing it open with ease. He chose this sweet on purpose, stopping the man with a tug at the hem of his shirt.

“This is for you,” Ciel said as he held out a Ring Pop. Sebastian shifted the weight of what he was carrying so he could offer up a free hand for the boy.

“Oh, thank you,” he smiled, happy to receive another one of Ciel’s little gifts. “My hands are full, you’ll have to put it on.” He started walking again. 

“Hold still!” Ciel whined and tried to hold the hand steady. “Your fingers are way too big,” he complained as he was finally able to slip it onto Sebastian’s left pinky. 

“My apologies,” he replied with a chuckle, stepping out to where he parked the car. Despite his hands being full, he opened the door for the boy before getting into the driver’s side. Reaching to start the ignition, he was a bit distracted by the small mouth on his hand. 

Ciel held him still with both hands as he lapped at the candy on his finger. He sucked on it a bit, letting it leave his mouth with a wet _pop_. Sebastian used one of the little pillows on his lap to hide the fact that he was now painfully hard. 

“I thought you said it was for me?” His teasing didn’t have its usual edge— not when his mind was so clouded. 

“Shtill wan’ some though,” he said, barely intelligible from the candy in his mouth. Sebastian couldn’t tear his eyes away as he watched the boy’s soft pink tongue around the treat, red-tinted saliva spilling down his chin. He swallowed dryly.

“You’re making a mess.” He tried his best to keep his voice steady. Ciel pulled back to find that he had, indeed, made a mess. Sticky, wet sugar covered both his and Sebastian’s hands and even dripped onto the center console.

“I’ll clean it up,” he gave a sweet smile, one much too innocent for the way he was acting. He licked the sweet syrup off of his own hands before moving on to the man, running his tongue along each digit and making sure to suck off the stubborn bits. Satisfied with his job, Ciel settled back into the passenger seat while Sebastian tried to get home as fast as possible. 

Thankfully, due to the twenty-minute drive and the mercy of the gods, his hard-on had gone down enough for him to comfortably carry a tuckered-out Ciel back inside. He held the boy with one arm and sat him down onto the edge of the bath as he began to run it. It was odd to think that tonight, like last night, he wouldn’t have to fight to get the boy clean. With the water at a suitable temperature, he plugged the drain and started to undress Ciel. Sebastian set the small clothes aside to scoop him up like a rag doll and lower him into the water. He heard the boy whimper as he washed his back.

“What’s wrong?” Ciel sniffled and wiped his nose on his arm.

“Hurts…”

“It’s tender right here?” Sebastian asked as he gently rubbed his thumb in circles over a spot on his shoulder. Ciel nodded frantically in response to his touch. He examined the patch of skin— no bruises— and prodded around his shoulder, which drew another whimper from the boy. “No wonder it hurts… you’re full of knots, baby.”

Ciel let out a breathy whine as Sebastian rubbed the kink out of his muscle. It hurt a little at first, but the pain became bearable as he relaxed, lolling his head forwards and giving access to the rest of his back.

“It’ll be easier for me once you’re out of the bath. Let’s get you dried off and warm.”

The draining tub could be heard from the bedroom as Sebastian pulled the underwear-clad boy to lay across his lap on the bed. He got to work, rubbing over the muscles and trying his best to be firm without being aggressive. After kneading out any knots he found, he removed his hands only to be met with protest. 

“Nooo…” Ciel whined as he woke up from his half-asleep state. “Rub m’ back, daddy…”

_It wouldn’t hurt to linger for a moment, would it?_

Sebastian happily obliged and smoothed his hands over the soft skin in no particular pattern. When he got to the small of his back, Ciel squealed at the touch on his sensitive skin. Testing the waters a little further, he slid his hands down to the boy’s hips and massaged the thin layer of muscle. To his delight, this was _very_ positively received; when he tried to take his hands back, Ciel lifted his little butt with them, pressing into the contact. Once he had reduced the boy into putty, he deemed his job finished and left to take his own bath. 

As soon as he heard the door click and shower beginning to run, Ciel lifted his head from the covers, his face a red and blushing mess. His little prick was hard and leaking at the tip. He could feel it pressing into the sheets. Although not unpleasant, this strange tingling feeling wasn’t something he was familiar with. Sure, he’d had plenty of those dirty old men who told him how good he made them feel, but he had never experienced this himself. He pushed to sit himself up and his body begged for him to find _any_ type of friction. His mind continued to wander as he felt the pillow he’d grabbed brush against his small, fabricked cock. Moans were muffled by his own hand while he couldn’t get Sebastian out of his head. How nice the touch felt…. how he held him firmly yet delicately as if the boy were made of glass. His mind ran in circles as he rutted into the soft feather pillow, thinking of how nice the man was to him and what other things those hands could do to him. Release was coming closer; he was trapped in his fantasy world— until he was forcefully dragged out of it by the clicking latch of the handle. He hadn’t even been thinking about the time… or how Sebastian was only in the next room. He stopped dead in his tracks and went pale as a ghost when he heard that honey-smooth voice from behind him.

“Does that feel good, angel?”

Ciel buried his face in shame and embarrassment as he hummed and nodded his head.

Sebastian slung his towel over the door handle and settled himself on the edge of the bed, his still-wet hair dripped onto the sheets. He untangled Ciel from the blanket and slipped the pillow out from between his legs, sitting the boy on his thigh to straddle it. No sound was exchanged between the two, except for a small whimper that left Ciel’s throat when he felt the fabric of his briefs pull against the man’s leg. Big hands reached around his waist and slid down to cup his bottom, making him buck his hips into the man. He couldn’t do anything but sit there, mortified and stunned by the flurry of emotions that swam around his chest and made him breathe heavily. He felt his head be pulled into Sebastian’s chest while he was pulled closer at the hips, encouraging him to keep moving.

Ciel wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and pulled himself close enough to feel his own hot breath against his cheeks. Slowly and unconfidently, he began to return to the rhythm he had found earlier. Grinding his crotch into the leg beneath him, he was barely able to hold back breathy moans and the tears in his eyes that formed either from the embarrassment and pleasure that filled his whole body.

“You’re doing so well,” Sebastian cooed into his ear and rubbed circles into his hips, “keep going, there’s nothing wrong with feeling good.” Ciel nodded his head and tucked it further into Sebastian’s shoulder as he upped his pace, while tears silently fell down his cheeks. He could feel a strange, warm tingling feeling grow in his stomach, which only made him speed up and grab tighter. He focused less and less on what was going on and more on seeking pleasure, abandoning his shame and grabbing Sebastian by the cheeks and smashing their mouths together. He was hardly aware of the other tongue in his mouth when he came with a moan, pulling away while his lips dripped with their shared saliva.

Sebastian’s praises were washed out by his panting and muddled thoughts. Ciel let the man pull him up on his chest while he caught his breath, his body laid limp with exhaustion. He sighed with a smile and relaxed into the attention. He fought to keep his eyes open between the little kisses that covered his face and the hard length pressing against his stomach, allowing sleep to finally take over as Sebastian pet and fussed over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much beta reading on this because I like to live on the edge. My pal @OtakuYavada on twitter helped edit the first half a while ago.
> 
> I have a rough plot plan but for now I am just making it up as I go; bear with me.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @Darling_Ciel and @_magg0tmuffins_ on twitter for beta reading! This is my first time actually committing to a multi-chapter fic so I hope it’s not awful


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